Healing
by DemonicFury
Summary: XSPOILERSX A WillardXOC fic set a little before his mother dies. A co-worker befriends Will and perhaps together they can heal old wounds and forge new bonds.
1. Reaching Out

A/N: I know it starts off weird. Just keep reading, and if something seems Mary-Suey, tell me and I'll see what I can do. I'm trying not to write a Mary-Sue for once.^^ 9/14/09

**Reaching Out**

She'd only worked there a month, yet just about every day she had seen him: a tall, dark-haired man whose eyes were always filled with fear. He always slouched, rarely talked with others, and seemed afraid of even the slightest attempt at conversation. Although, she could not blame him for being so fearful. Whenever anyone spoke with him, they always ripped another chunk out of him. Even-no, especially their boss tormented the poor fellow. She wished she could help him, but what could she do? There was no one to tell, no one to call for help.

"_I guess there's only one thing to do. I'll befriend him, and perhaps, that will start a wheel in motion, and others will do the same. Now, I just need a reason to go up to him..."_

The very next day, she was given that reason as the black-haired man slowly walked into the office in which six people worked. His arms were full of papers, and his head was down as usual. She saw Nathan get up out of the corner of her eye, a wicked grin pulling at his mouth. As he and the man walked past each other, he stuck out his elbow, scattering the papers across the floor. Biting back a laugh, Nathan kept walking, leaving the man to silently gather his work. _"Now's my chance."_

Quietly, she stood from her seat and strided over to the kneeling man. He glanced up at her before returning his gaze to the floor. Feeling her co-workers' eyes on her back, she kneeled before him and began gathering what papers she could. Surprised, the man's head shot up, his blue eyes studying her. "Here you go," she said, smiling and handing the papers to him. He gingerly took them, still shocked at her kindness. "Um, forgive me for asking, but what's your name?"

"Uh, Willard, and you?"

"Alice. Alice Daniels." He nodded his head quickly and smiled at her, saying, "Thank you, Alice."

"Oh, no problem, Willard." They then stood and walked to their respective desks, each of them feeling a bit warmer and not quite so alone.

* * *

**Two Days Later(Thursday)**

For once, Alice was late to work. Flushed and distressed, she hurried into the office, accidentally slamming the door behind her. Instantly, everyone's eyes were on her. Her face burning like fire, she quickly walked to her desk. Once there, she fought the urge to break down and cry. _"God, they're all staring at me, thinking how lazy I am, how worthless I am!"_ She opened a drawer to grab a tissue, only to find her box was empty. _"Not today! Aww.... No! No! No!" _

"Here...." She looked up towards the voice and mentally gasped. There stood Willard, his arm outstretched, offering her a box of Kleenex. Trembling, she took it, unable to force the words, "Thank you," from her lips. He nodded, seeming to understand, and silently walked back to his desk, unlike many others, who would have stood there, towering over her and upsetting her further.

**The Next Day(Friday)**

"_We're friends now, right? I can ask him if he wants to hang out now, right?"_ Alice nervously intertwined her fingers, thinking of different ways to ask Willard if he wanted to go to a movie or something over the weekend. She'd never been the one that asked if someone would go do something with them. She had always been the one asked. _"I'm so awkward..."_

Her head shot up as Willard entered the office. She watched as he sat at his desk and just stared off into space, his eyes glistening with what looked like tears. She continued staring at him for almost twenty minutes, just pondering what could be wrong, when she was pulled from her thoughts by Nathan. "Hey, Alice, I was wondering if you wanted to go to that new Italian restaurant tomorrow night." _ "I hate rejecting people, but...."_

"Sorry, but I have plans." Nathan's face turned dark as his brow furrowed.

"Let me guess, Rat-boy already takin' you?" She cocked her head.

"Rat-boy?"

Yeah, old Willard over there has a house full of rats. He even has some in his desk drawers." Her eyes widened and she glanced at Willard, who was now looking in his desk drawer, and even appeared to be talking to something. "See?" She nodded her head, unsure of what to think. Satisfied, Nathan walked away. _ "So what if he lives with rats? My apartment's full of mice. Though, I don't carry them around with me..." _

Sighing, she stood and walked over to Willard. He looked up at her and smiled slightly. "Hello, Alice."

Her face blushed crimson and she said, "Hi, Willard, I was kinda wondering if you, um, wanted to go to a movie or something this weekend. Just as friends, of course!" His smile disappeared.

"I'm sorry. My mother is sick and..."

"Oh, I understand. I'm sorry." She placed her hand on his, mimicking what she'd seen people in movies do. His eyes widened and he pulled away, blushing and looking away. Dejected, Alice turned and walked back to her desk, unaware that Willard's eyes followed her every step of the way.


	2. House Call

**The Next Week...**

The following week, Willard was late every day, and on that Friday, he didn't even show up. As a result, rumors sprouted. Some were mild, but others ran along the lines of, "Rat-boy finally cracked and did himself in, just like his old man." Concerned, Alice approached her co-workers, asking for Willard's address. Each time, they refused to tell her, and retorted with lines such as, "Shouldn't you know? You **are** sleeping with him." She wasn't, of course. She was just concerned for a fellow human being, a friend. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. _"We never truly agreed we were friends, but still... I helped him, he helped me. I mean, I should at least care that my co-worker is acting so odd, right?"_ Finally, she convinced the secretary to tell her; the woman wasn't that bad, actually.

And so, here she was, walking along a darkening street at six at night, heading for the address she had scribbled down. "I wonder what I should say.... I guess I'll just tell him outright why I'm here." She turned a corner, and almost fell down in shock. Before her loomed a rather large house; it was not the fanciest house around, but it was still impressive to someone who had lived in an apartment for eight years. Finally working up her courage, her footsteps echoed as she walked up the stairs to his doorway. She gingerly knocked on the door three times and waited. After a minute or two, the door opened. In the doorway stood Willard, dressed in a t-shirt and blue jeans. His face was flushed, and his eyes were red, as if he had been crying. "Alice...? What are you doing here?"

Pulled from her thoughts on his appearance, she said, "Oh, I thought something might be wrong, what with your lateness to work and then not even coming today." His eyes widened and he nodded.

"Oh, I'm fine. It's just that my mother's been sick..." Following that note, they stood there in an awkward silence, until Alice spoke.

"Well, do you need help with her? My mother was sick for years before finally... So, anyway, I can help!" He shook his head.

"No, I can handle it."

"Are you sure, Willard?"

"Yes, I-"

Suddenly, someone in the house shouted, "Willard! Get back in here and help me find my pills! Tell whoever that is to wait in the living room until you're done with me_!" "That must be his mother…"_

"Are you sure you don't want to leave now?" he asked Alice, beginning to turn and enter the house. She nodded and followed him inside. _"Wow, this place is so pretty…"_ Alice thought, marveling at its size as she passed through threshold. He motioned towards a door to the left of the front door. "The living room is right through there."

"Willard!!"

He flinched and said, "I'll be back to talk as soon as I can," before racing through a door across from the front door. Alice took one more look around the hallway before entering the living room. Her jaw dropped. Before her was large fireplace faced by a couch and two armchairs, and to her right was a long, metal staircase that wound around like a spring and disappeared upstairs. _"This guy's loaded! Or at least his mother is. Aw, but why should I care if he has money? Remember what your mother taught you before she began hating you, 'Judge someone by their personality, not their looks or things, no matter how big they are'." _She chuckled at that last line.

Alice sat down on the couch and glanced at her watch. _"6:18. Aw, I'm gonna miss Deal or No Deal! Oh, well, I suck at that game anyway…" _She stretched her arms and laid back, snuggling against the couch and watching the roaring blaze in the fireplace. _"Ah, he'll probably only be like ten minutes."_

She closed her eyes and, after awhile, drifted off into sleep.

**Later…**

"_Huh?"_ Alice sat bolt upright. _"I was…? How long?"_ She looked at her watch. _"8:20? What the heck? Why'd he let me sleep so long? At __**his**__ house?" _She looked around, confused. Nothing looked different. No lights were off, no smells of dinner wafted through the house. She tapped her watch, thinking it to be broken.

"Sorry about that," said Willard, suddenly walking into the room and sitting in one of the armchairs. "Usually, she's in bed by seven. Today, however, she didn't seem to want to sleep." She blinked in disbelief. It really was eight o' clock? "I'll understand if you want to leave now that it's so late." She shook her head.

"No, I can stay. It is Friday after all." A smile crossed his face.

"You're certainly welcome here as long as you like. Oh and would you mind handing me that book?" he asked, motioning towards a paperback book further down on the couch she was on. She nodded and picked it up before standing and stepping towards him. Her foot hit something on the way, however, causing her to fall against Willard. His arms instinctively curled around her. Blushing, she shifted her legs to a more comfortable position. Wondering why his face turned a darker crimson, she looked down and gasped, realizing that she was now straddling his lap. Stammering an apology, she tried to push herself off of him, her eyes widening as her hand brushed something hard. _"That's not a pencil, is it?"_

"You little whore!" came a shout from behind Alice. She turned towards the voice and mentally gasped. There stood an elderly woman in a nightgown; her face furious, her hands balled into fists. "A bastard and a whore, procreating in my own house! Out with you, bitch! Get out!" Alice whimpered and leapt off of Willard, racing for the front door as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her face as she raced into the cold night and collapsed just around the corner in an alley. She curled up into a fetal position, sobbing as her mind raced. _"I didn't! We didn't! God, I've never been so! And poor Willard! Oh, what have I done?"_

Finding the energy to stand, she staggered back to her apartment, desperately wishing she could just disappear.


	3. Friends?

**The Following Monday…**

Alice was at her desk when Willard entered the office, late again. He didn't even look at her. He just sat at his desk and got to work. She tried not to look at him. She distracted herself with her pencil, the clock, her watch, even the other workers, but eventually, her eyes came to rest on him_. "Oh, God…."_ His right cheek was marked with three long scratches. They had not been there when she had left his house. She definitely would have noticed. _"His mother must have really been upset… I should apologize. No! I can't… He probably hates me…"_

Silently, she stood and walked out into the hallway, hoping everyone would assume she was going to the bathroom. She almost made it to the bathroom, actually, before collapsing and going into a crying fit. She balled her hand into a fist and bit down on it, stifling her sobs. Her body trembled, and her mind raced with negative thoughts blaming her for every bit of misfortune she had run into during her life. _"Why do I only remember bad things? Why never good?" _She bit down harder. _"Perhaps it's because I have no good things to remember…"_

"Alice…?" She did not look up. Instead, she burrowed her head into her knees, willing herself to disappear. A hand touched her shoulder and she sensed the warmnth of someone sitting beside her. "Alice, I'm so sorry about my mother's words the other day." She looked at Willard, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She instinctively leaned against him. He continued, "My mother's illness just makes her act irrational at times. She didn't mean it."

"I'm sorry, Willard. I shouldn't have come." She looked away from him. "You didn't even want me there…"

His eyes widened and he said, "Of course I wanted you there! You're my…" he trailed off, unsure if he should continue.

"Yes?" she asked, looking at him.

"You're the closest thing I've had to a friend in…well, forever."

"No, I'm not." He turned towards her, shocked.

"You're not?!" She placed her hand on his, smiling.

"No, I **am** your friend. And you are mine. See how that works?" He nodded and let his head rest against hers.

"For once, I do."


	4. Confession

Alice's eyes widened as Willard's lips covered hers. Their hands raced up and down each other's bodies as their hips ground against each other, arousing them both. He pulled away, grinning, before beginning to remove his jeans. _ "How did we end up...?"_ Her thoughts were lost as his lips met hers again and his hands pulled her underwear down from under her skirt. _"I'm wearing a...? But I never..."_ The feeling of his knee between her legs ended all question. And as his lips crashed against hers once more.....

"Ah!" Alice sat up in bed, panting and sweating. She looked around, expecting to see Willard, but finding nothing. She sighed and laid back against her pillow, afraid to touch her lips, lest she wash away the feel of his soft lips on hers. "I've only really known him for two weeks, yet I'm having dreams about him? God, what's wrong with me?" She rolled over and clutched her pillow, imagining it was him. _"It'll never happen. I should just treasure our friendship while it lasts." _

**The Next Day(Tuesday) **

"Lunchtime. Finally." Alice stood and stretched, watching everyone file out of the office for their lunch break. Soon, only she and Willard were left. _"I wonder if he'd...?"_ She walked over to his desk, causing him to look up.

Smiling slightly, he asked, "What's up, Alice?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go get lunch with me. There's a McDonald's just down the street."

He glanced away for a few moments, thinking, before replying, "Okay, sure. Let's go." Smiling, she took his hand and together they began walking. Willard was blushing, but he did not pull his hand away. It felt good to be close to someone, to feel a gentle touch. Besides, lots of friends held hands, right?

As they walked, they talked, mostly about books, as neither of them really kept up with current events.

"So, Willard," said Alice as they sat down with their food; she with an order of chicken nuggets and fries, he with a sandwich and soda.

"Eh?" he responded, sipping his drink.

"Which do you think is better, the original Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, or the newer movie version with Gerard Butler?" As she waited for him to respond, she ate a few of her nuggets.

"The book, but only because the relationships seem more developed. I rather liked the music from the movie, though."

"Yeah, I agree. Heh, do you think it's bad that I wanted Erik to win Christine?" Willard seemed a bit surprised by her confession.

"You wanted Erik to win?" Alice blushed and sheepishly smiled.

"Yeah, I've always been the one person that roots for the underdog, or the misunderstood villain, to win. That's probably because I've always **been** the underdog, the beaten mutt."

"Huh. How so?"

"Well..." She ate a few of her fries, debating on whether or not to tell him. _"I've never told anyone..."_

Sensing her discomfort, Willard said, "If you don't want to tell me, it's okay."

"No, I'll tell you. For most of my life, my mother was sick. At first, she would tell me she was dying, and I would cry and cry, but then she'd be okay and I would be happy. But after awhile, I stopped believing her, and she started to hate me. At first, she'd just cuss at me, but after a few years, she started throwing things at me, and telling me she was going to abandon me. She'd also tell me that she was going to kill herself and that it would be my fault. Every night, I'd cry myself to sleep, until finally, eight years ago, just a week before my eighteenth birthday, she finally died." Embarrassed by her confession, she looked away from Willard, thinking what she'd said inappropriate. His eyes wide, he placed his hand on hers, gently caressing her fingers with his thumb.

He cooed, "It's okay, Alice..."

"I know. I tell myself that every night." She eventually turned back to her food and they finished eating in silence. As they walked back to the office, Willard took her hand in his and slightly leaned against her.

"You know I'm here if you need to talk."

"I know, Willard, and I appreciate it."

"So, that offer to see a movie together.... Does it still stand?"

"Of course."

"I'll call you tonight with the time and place. 'K?"

Smiling, she replied, "'K."


	5. Crumbs

**Friday**

"So, ready to go, Willard?" asked Alice as she walked over to his desk. They'd eaten lunch together just about every day that week, and she hoped that Friday would be no exception.

"Well, I actually brought something for lunch today," he said, pulling a bag from one of his desk's drawers. Her smile left her face.

"Oh... I guess I'll go by myself then...." she said, sighing and turning to leave. She stopped, though, after he grabbed her arm.

"No, I brought enough for both of us," he explained.

"Oh!" She pulled one of the chairs over to his desk and sat across from him, wondering what he had to eat. From the bag he produced a large Ziploc bag full of brownies. _"Wait, what? Brownies?"_ He opened the bag and set it on the desk before taking one and motioning for her to do the same. Alice did so and bit into it, her eyes widening as she ate. _"Dude, this is good!"_ "Wow, these are good! Where'd you buy these?" she asked, wanting to get some for a treat one day.

He sheepishly replied, "I actually made them myself..."

"Really? Man, I wish I could cook like this, or at all for that matter. I can't even make ramen noodles."

"Well, I could teach you a little bit after the movie tomorrow. Just, it'd need to be at your place. My mother's still a bit..."

"Yeah... So, it's a date then! Er..." She blushed and ate another brownie to avoid talking, less she say something even stupider. Willard chuckled and ate another brownie. As he reached for a third one, he stopped, wondering why Alice was staring at him and snickering.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head slightly.

"You've got...oh, forget it." With that said, she reached over and brushed at the corners of his lips, knocking a few crumbs to the desk. _"So soft..."_ She could not help herself. Gently, she ran her hand down his cheek, causing both of them to blush. His hand moved to top hers, pushing her hand against his face. He relished her touch; he did not know why, but he did. He leaned into her hand, smiling slightly.

"Ahem!" coughed someone from the office doorway. Instantly, the two broke apart, blushing more than they had before. "Honestly can't you two do that somewhere else? I mean, there are cameras here!" It was Ms. Leach, the secretary, and for once, she looked angry instead of depressed. _"She's right... We're just friends. He doesn't have feelings for me. He just responded because he's a guy and that's what they do." _Alice stood and walked over to her desk, unable to force herself to look at Willard or Ms. Leach. She heard footsteps and into her line of vision came the bag of brownies.

"You can have them; I can always make more." She stammered out a, "Thank you," and put the bag in one of her drawer's. "So, are we still on for...?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, Willard." She heard him walk away and put her head down, wondering if he knew just how much his kindness meant to her. _"It feels so good to think that he actually cares for me, even just as a friend... And even if we are always just friends, I want to make him a thousand times happier than he is, because he deserves it."_


	6. Accidents Happen

**Saturday**

"I gotta hurry... Can't believe I lost track of time like this..." Alice pulled on a royal purple t-shirt and began brushing her hair, flinching as the brush hit knot after knot. "The movie's at one, and it's 12:45 right now. He'll probably be here in-" _Knock, knock._ "Now." She quickly finished with her hair and looked herself over in the mirror, inspecting her pale skin and dark brown hair. _ "I look sick, and my hair looks like really ugly bark. Great. At least my eyes are rather nice, what with their normal coloration of brown with green flecks."_ Another knock sounded. "Coming!" she shouting, leaving her bedroom and walking through the living room to the front door. She opened it and lost her breath for a moment. There stood Willard, wearing blue jeans and a dark blue shirt that fit just tight enough to reveal that he was rather well built. Over the shirt was a black jacket; it was beaten up and worn.

Noticing her staring, he apologized, "I'm sorry, but this is my only jacket and it's supposed to rain later and..."

"No, it's okay. Really. Besides, you're doing better than me. I haven't had a jacket in years." He seemed puzzled by this, but cast the thought aside as they walked together to his car. He apologized for the car's poor quality, but once more she admitted to him that he was still doing better than her; she took the bus everywhere. "That's actually why I haven't had a jacket in years. Bus fares just keep going up and up."

On the way to the theater, Alice snuggled into her seat and watched the city zoom by outside. _"Huh?"_ She jumped in her seat as she felt a hand on her thigh. "Ah, sorry!" cried Willard, pulling back. "I was reaching for the PRNDL and, well..."

Blushing furiously, she looked out the window once more and replied, "It's okay..."

"No it's not... Don't just accept everything someone does to you as okay." _"Look who's callin' the kettle black."_

"I don't accept everything, but we're friends, right? Friends joke around and make mistakes and..." She couldn't think of anything else to name. The only things she really knew about friendship was from books and movies.

"I guess you're right...." At the theater, Willard parked the car and they walked up to buy their tickets. Willard bought hers, despite her protests, and they walked in together. He also bought the popcorn and sodas. They entered the room the movie was showing in and walked up to the top row.

"Thank you," said Alice, leaning her head against his shoulder. Smiling slightly, he let his head rest on hers.

"You're welcome," he said, slipping his arm around her shoulders. That was how they sat during the movie, moving only to eat a bite of the popcorn or to drink from their sodas. After the movie was over, they walked back to the car, and every-so-often, Alice would toss a piece of popcorn at Willard's head until, finally, he he took it away from her. "You don't get popcorn. You're unworthy." She reached around him and over him, trying to reclaim the bucket, but ending up rubbing her hand over his chest and arms, causing him to blush. She smirked and gently ran a finger along his jawline, causing him to tremble and close his eyes. Seeing his defenses lowered, she grabbed the bucket and stepped back a few paces.

"Ha! I win!" His eyes shot opened and he groaned.

"No fair! My dumb boy brain can't handle stuff like that!" She smiled and walked over to him. He reached for the bucket, but she moved it and slipped her arms around his waist, embracing him.

"I'm sorry, Willard..." she mumbled. He wrapped his arms around her, ignoring his brain's cries of protest. They stayed that was for a few minutes, until Alice's crotch brushed against his, sending a surge of feelings through them both. Blushing, they broke apart, mumbling apologies. They then walked back to the car, both ignoring the instinct to grasp each other's hand.

"So, back to your place for the cooking lesson?" he asked, finding his voice.

"Oh, yes," she replied, looking out the window. Neither of them spoke during the ride, and once they were at her place, Willard was a little hesitant to come in. "I'm not gonna bite you," she said, joking around.

"That's not what I'm worried about..." he said, entering with his eyes on the floor. She blushed, realizing what he was implying. "So, where is...?"

"To your right." He turned, feeling a bit stupid as he discovered her kitchen was right next to the front door. Silently, he searched the cabinets before pulling out a packet of ramen noodles.

"Where is all of your food, Alice?"

"I usually eat out," she admitted.

"But still, if you got sick, what would you eat?"

"I guess I'd starve." He sighed and shook his head, dissatisfied with her answer.

"Well, come here and watch me make these." She nodded and did as told, watching as he heated the water to a boil, then broke the noodles up and placed them in the pan. After a few minutes, he put the packet of spice in and stirred before draining the pan in the sink and putting the noodles in a bowl. "There. Can you remember that?"

She nodded and said, "Boil water, put noodles in for three minutes, put in spice, drain, then eat." He nodded and smiled.

"Right. Very good. Now, eat up," he said, offering the bowl to her. She took it, only to remember why you are never to touch the bottom of bowl of hot stuff.

"Ow!" she cried, setting the bowl on the counter and waving her hands, as if perhaps she could shake the pain away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Willard, taking her hands in his and looking them over. "They look okay, but still..." He turned the cold water on and held her hands under the faucet. "Better?" She nodded and dried her hands on her shirt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" he stopped talking as she hugged him.

"It's okay, Willard. Accidents happen."

"I suppose you're right..."

"Of course I am," she said, standing on her tip-toes and pecking him on the tip of his nose. He blushed and, before he could stop himself, leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. Their eyes closed and they leaned into each other; his hands pushed against her back, forcing her closer to him. Their bodies rubbed against each other and the kiss deepened. Willard, feeling his legs become weak, fell back against one of the counters, bringing Alice with him and sending a dish clattering to the floor. The sudden noise brought them back to reality, and they broke apart, panting and staring at each other.

"I'm-" began Willard.

"Sorry," finished Alice. "I shouldn't have..."

"No, it was my fault..." He pulled himself up and headed for the door, his head down and his eyes brimming with tears of embarrassment. If he'd glanced at Alice, he would have realized she was already crying. "Goodbye, see you at work," he said, part of him not wanting to leave. She stood and walked to the door, fighting the urge to kiss him goodbye.

"See you," she said, closing the door and locking it before collapsing, sobbing as her face burned. _ "I'm so stupid! He doesn't love me! That wasn't his choice! It was his hormones! Any straight guy would've done that!"_ She sniffled. _"But his eyes... That look in them was the look of love, wasn't it?"_


	7. Hero

**Monday**

Willard was late to work again, and as he entered the office, the boss, Mr. Martin, cornered him. "Listen, Tiger, I can't have you being late like this." The nervous male started to respond but Mr. Martin cut him off. "Now, I care that your mother's sick. I really do, but this is ridiculous. I mean, you've been late every day for two weeks, this being the start of the third one!"

Alice's eyes narrowed as she and everyone else in the office listened. Mr. Martin could care less about Willard's mother. He was just setting the poor man up so he could destroy him. "Now, if you're late one more time, it's coming out of your pay. Got it, Tiger?" Willard solemnly nodded and, after Mr. Martin left, sat at his desk. He did not look around or begin his work; he just sat there, clenching his fists to keep from crying.

At lunchtime, everyone left and Alice walked over to Willard, who had still not changed position. Gingerly, she took his hand in hers, ignoring the fact it was pale and sweaty. "Willard?" He did not respond to her. She rubbed her cheek against his hand, and slowly, he turned his head towards her.

"Alice...?" She nodded.

"Don't let him beat you, Willard. He's-" she was cut off as Willard pulled his hand away from her and pulled her in so his lips could cover hers. She returned the kiss, and mentally willed what happiness she had to transfer to him.

Eventually, he released her lips and said, "Forgive me."

"It's okay..."

"No, it's not! Stop saying it is!" he shouted, knocking a container of pencils to the floor. "It's not okay for me to just kiss you out of the blue like that!"

"If I didn't want you to, I wouldn't let you do it." His eyes widened and he shifted his attention to the discarded pencils. She joined him on the floor and gathered what she could. "Heh, this is almost like how we met, isn't it? The only difference is, this time you knocked the stupid stuff down." Fighting his brain once more, he captured her lips in another kiss, sending warmnth rushing through her body. This time, his tongue asked entrance and she allowed it, moaning lightly as the digit explored her mouth. His hand snaked its way behind her head once more as she let him push her backwards onto the floor. She pulled his body closer to hers, reveling in the feeling of his touch. His free hands began trailing up her body, hesitating as it began to worm its way under her shirt.

"Hey, only I can have sex in this office!" The two blushing adults broke apart, unable to look at each other. "Really, can't you two do that somewhere else? I mean geez! And to think if I'd walked in a few seconds later. Aw!" Alice stood and raced past the secretary, while Willard remained sitting on the floor. "Well? Aren't you gonna go after her?" Shakily, he stood and exited the room, his pace picking up as he realized Alice was running. He turned the corner and left the building, running at full speed as he glimpsed her heading into an alley. As he entered the alley, his eyes went wide.

Alice was on the ground, out cold, and towering above her were three guys, one wielding a tire iron. "Don't be a hero, man. Just walk away," sneered the armed one. They were all a little taller than him, but he couldn't just leave Alice to these guys, could he?

Summoning his courage, Willard ran at them, punching the smallest one in the face. Instantly, the tire iron came down hard on his shoulder; ignoring the searing pain, he turned and punched the other unarmed one before digging his fist into the chest of the one with the weapon. "D*mmit, he's fast!" The tire iron came down again, this time on his upper arm. A sickening crack sounded and he let out a cry of pain, but he fought the urge to fall to the ground. Instead, he punched with all of his strength, aiming right for the thug's face. He hit and smirked as the weak nose shattered beneath his fist. Blood gushed out from the wound and the thug backed away. "Aw, d*mn! That b**ch broke my f**cking nose!" The other two thugs backed away as well. "Come on, guys. There're easier targets in the park." The trio ran away, leaving Willard to collapse beside Alice, who was still knocked out. Knowing he had no cellphone, he searched her pockets and found one.

"911, what is your emergency?" asked the voice on the phone.

"My friend and I were jumped in an alley; she's out cold and I'm in pretty bad shape."

"Tell me your location, Sir."

"We're in an alley that's just to the right of the Martin & Stiles Co. building."

"Emergency officials are being dispatched to your location, Sir." He hung up the phone and looked down at Alice. He caressed her cheek lightly with his hand, smiling down at her.

"Don't worry. You're safe," he said, kissing her forehead before pulling her head into his lap. "You'll be okay. We'll both be okay."

**Later, In the Hospital**

Willard looked up from his bed as someone entered the dark room, bathing him in light from the hallway. "Yes?" he asked, his voice timid.

"Why's it so dark in here, Willard?" asked a female voice.

"Well, Alice, it is ten o' clock at night," he replied.

"Well, yeah, but still," she said, standing beside his bed. She looked him over before lowering her head and leaning against the bed.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" he asked, trying reach over and touch her, but failing painfully.

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. I mean, look at you! A dislocated left shoulder and a broken right arm? Oh, why didn't you run and leave me there?" she asked, tears running down her face.

"Friends don't leave friends at the mercy of people like that!"

Alice stopped crying and said, "You're the first who hasn't abandoned me as soon as the going got tough." She reached over and gently pulled his face near hers, nuzzling her face into his black hair. She then pressed her lips to his, absentmindedly running her hand up and down his scalp. He moaned into her mouth, desperately asking for more. She broke away and nuzzled her face against his before turning to leave.

"Don't!" he shouted, unable to grab her arm to stop her. She heeded his wishes and sat in a chair between his bed and the window. "Alice, I will never regret protecting you."

"Oh, how wrong you are," she muttered sadly. "They always regret it..."


	8. Death

For the next two weeks, Willard was basically ignored by everyone at work except Alice. They still did not accept him, but none of them were quite comfortable giving him trouble once they found out just how he had come to be so badly injured. Every day, Alice helped Willard with his work, causing her to slowly fall behind. That is how, exactly two weeks and three days after the incident, she found herself working overtime in a desperate attempt to catch up. Across from her sat Willard, who was fiddling with his cast to distract himself.

"You can leave, you know? I'm sure your mother needs your help anyway." Willard knew she was right, but he didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone. He'd actually been so concerned for her when he was released from the hospital that he'd insisted on driving her to and from work every day, which ended up making them both late, but no one at the office said anything about it.

"She can wait; besides, you're almost done." She nodded and hurried through the rest of the work, not caring that her handwriting was deteriorating with every line.

Finally, she said, "Done."

"Great," said Willard, standing. "Now let's go."

"Just a minute. I need to put this on Mr. Martin's desk first." She tidied the papers a bit before walking into the boss' empty office and setting them on his desk. "All right, let's go," she said, running out and grabbing Willard's left hand. He groaned lightly in pain, causing her to let go. "Oh, I'm sorry. Does your shoulder still hurt?" He nodded but took her hand in his.

"It's okay, Alice," he said, kissing her lightly on the nose. She blushed and gripped his hand firmly.

"Good." They walked to his car and rode off towards her apartment. Once again, he accidentally groped her thigh instead of the PRNDL. She did not jump this time, but instead shuddered as he rubbed his hand up and down before moving away. _"Now if could only get his hand a little further over..."_ She blushed at the thought. _"Naughty, naughty girl..." _

At her apartment, they said their goodbyes and shared a chaste kiss before going their separate ways. Once inside, Alice collapsed on her bed, thinking. _"We can't just call ourselves friends now, can we? I mean, we kiss more often than friends ever-wait, friends don't ever kiss, do they? And his touch... It's becoming more desperate, more pleading. Then again, so is mine..."_ She sighed and covered her face with her pillow. _"I guess I'll ask him if he wants to make it official next time I see him." _

**The Next Day(Friday)**

Willard did not show at work the next day, so after work, Alice rode the bus and then walked the rest of the way to his house. As she approached it, something felt different. Something was...missing.

She hurried up the steps and knocked on the door, but earned no reply. "Willard? It's Alice. Please let me in." Still nothing. Seeing no other way to get him to answer she cried, "Oh, God, Willard, help me! They're after me!" Almost instantly, the door swung open and out stepped Willard, armed with a butcher knife. "Hey, whoa, wait! It's okay!" He looked around and then looked at her.

"You're not...?"

"No, I just-"

"That wasn't funny," he said coldly. He lowered the knife and walked back in the house, followed by Alice. She closed and locked the door before apologizing.

"I'm sorry, you just wouldn't answer and I was scared and-" The knife fell to the floor and Willard turned, burrowing his face in her chest and knocking her to the floor. "Will...?" He was sobbing. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing up and down his back as he cried against her, soaking her shirt. After what felt like hours, he looked up at her and incoherently mumbled something. "What?" she asked, laying her head on his.

"She's dead..." he moaned before letting out a heart-wrenching wail. _ "His mother...? Oh, God..."_ She held him tighter, whispering sweet nothings to him, trying to calm him down. "Last night.... Oh, the rats... Oh, God!" She nuzzled his scalp and kissed him again and again, unaware that she was now crying. They sat there, crying together, for hours until finally, they had no more tears left.

Willard stood first, stumbling into the living room, and a few minutes later, Alice joined him. He was sitting on the couch, watching the fire crack and burn. Silently, she sat beside him and allowed him to pull her close. After awhile, they laid down together, Alice held close against his chest, and fell asleep, both haunted by dreams of sorrow and death.

**Morning**

Alice awoke first and found herself staring up at Willard's face. His cheeks and under his eyes were red, obviously from crying. Reaching up, she gently caressed his face, willing his sadness to leave. _"It's my fault. If he hadn't stayed after with me, he would've been there for her..."_ She slowly pushed his arm off of her waist and snuck off of the couch and out of the room. As she reached the front door, though, a voice stopped her. "Alice... Please, don't leave me..." She returned to the living room and sat in one of the armchairs, not feeling it appropriate to lay down-again-with a guy whose mother just died.

Willard curled up, sobbing "Oh, God, I miss her... She shouldn't have gone... Oh, God!" Alice stood and embraced him, holding him close as he cried out for his mother. _"He's like a lost child... It's so sad..."_ She kissed his forehead and nuzzled him, desperately trying to console him. "Please... Don't leave me alone... I don't think I could stand it..." She kissed his forehead again and again.

"Don't worry. I'll never leave you, Willard." He gripped her shirt and pushed himself against her, as if trying to meld with her. His cries became incomprehensible, but she did not let go of him; instead, she held him as tightly as she could. After an hour or two, his cries subsided, but they still sat there, cuddled together.

"Alice..." Willard finally said, breaking the silence. She looked down at him, a questioning look on her face. "Why are you crying?" She lifted a hand to her cheek and realized that she was crying.

"That's easy, dearest," she replied, using a pet name to comfort him, "I sympathize and empathize with you, and your pain is my pain." He clutched her closer, as if afraid she might disappear.

"I love you, Alice..."

"I love you, too, Willard..."


End file.
